Cafe Moxie – Full of Unexpected Treats on Main Street – Vineyard Haven

A welcome sight on Main Street in Vineyard Haven — people in the windows, enjoying a bite to eat at the new Cafe Moxie.  Now open for about a month, there is lots to celebrate.

A New Addition to Cafe Moxie – Chef Josh Aronie

First, let’s start with the fact that the restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (brunch on Sundays), seven days a week.  What a novel idea for Main Street.  Second, let’s talk about the fact that Island Chef Josh Aronie has joined the team at Moxie.

Of course, Chef Willy Wannamaker is still there as well. He is the head chef, but Josh has come on board to cook breakfast & lunch.  What a treat to see him in the kitchen during the off season, and be able to enjoy his cooking at a great, new location.

Fresh Baked Everything

Another thing to be excited about is the selection of fresh breads and pastries at Cafe Moxie.  Everyday at 4:30 a.m., baker extraordinaire, Leslie Hewson whips up some delicious treats, including apple turnovers, danishes (flavors change daily), biscuits, fresh olive bread, brioche, and more.

Pretty to look at but even better to eat.  Also, you can grab a day old (if there are any) for half price.  Not a bad deal since these homemade goodies would only be about 24 hours old.  She also makes the desserts daily, and important to know, is that there is always creme brulée!

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner & Brunch Too

So, I decided to stop by for brunch last week, and was pleasantly surprised to have Phillip Tucker as my server.  Always gracious and fun, he did not disappoint.  He let me know about a little something different that they have there — you can get a glass of fresh squeezed grapefruit juice.

They have fresh squeezed orange juice too, but so do lots of other places, not as unique.  But seriously — the grapefruit juice is beyond delicious, and it’s worth stopping by for just that, if you’re not hungry.

After much contemplation between brioche french toast, the Moxie omelette, and the veggie scramble , I decided to have the Moxie Omelette, made with Island Farms eggs, wilted spinach, shiitake mushrooms, shallots, Gruyere, home fries and some fresh made multi-grain toast.  Yummy!  The home fries were nicely seasoned and the omelette was perfect.  Not too fluffy, not too dense, just right, and having shiitake mushrooms was a nice change from the usual button mushrooms.

Once I was done practically cleaning my plate, I headed downstairs to say hi to Josh and congratulate him on his new job.  The shiny new kitchen has some miles on it now and looks cooked in.  Josh was busy making orders, but had time for a quick chat.

He is happy being a part of the Moxie team.  He also really likes being able to cook and be busy during these months.  So many places close down, and it’s a nice change for him.  Though he loves the new kitchen and the menu, Josh misses being able to see guests enjoying their food.  However, he said there is something in being able to focus and get lost in what you love to do.

Glad to have a moment to say hi, I was about to leave, but Phil just made a fresh pot of coffee, and invited me to have a cup.  How could I resist?  Fresh coffee, a full stomach, a sunlit dining room, Etta James singing in the background, I had to stay for a cup, a great dark roast.

More Than Just A Place to Eat

Also, there was more for me to learn.  Though dinner doesn’t start until 5:30 p.m., from 3 p.m. to then, you can stop by for a cup of coffee and a pastry —  a nice way to spend a little time downtown.  There’s wifi, great people watching, and soon they’ll have espresso drinks too.

Congratulations to the whole team at Cafe Moxie. I wish them nothing but success.  It’s been quite the journey to rebuild and open the restaurant. I love seeing the warm glow from their windows and hearing the laughter of diners, young and old, on that corner once more.  Though Cafe Moxie has changed quite a bit, the restaurant is definitely something we needed, especially in Vineyard Haven.

In case you were wondering, Cafe Moxie is currently BYOB.  They hope to have their beer and wine license by December 1st, just in time for the holidays.  I know that I’m looking forward to grabbing a beer and a burger at the bar there.

To find out a little more about Cafe Moxie, check out Cafe Moxie, Opening its Doors Once Again, Vineyard Haven or visit the Cafe Moxie website.

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